Tape dispenser



June 9, 1959 Filed Sept. 9. 1953 J. F. HANLON TAPE DISPENSER 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVE TOR Ja flmkza/v ZZzZM ATTORNEY June 9, 1959 HANLON 2,889,975

TAPE DISPENSER Filed Sept. 9. 1953 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTO RNEY June 9, 1959 J. F. HANLON 2,889,975

TAPE DISPENSER Filed Sept. 9. 1953 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 1 M Vii; /49 1 37 57 55 TMIJEL.

ATTORNEY June 9, 1959 J. F. HANLON 2,389,975

TAPE DISPENSER Filed Sept. 9, 1953 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR (55am 6414 4 a/v ATTORNEY June 9, 1959 J. F. HANLON TAPE DISPENSER Filed Sept. 9. 1953 THE LE.

I i 29 32 n) 376 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 mvsmon JEJEPH 74; 04

ATTORNEY 2,889,975 Patented June 9, 1959 TAPE DISPENSER Joseph F. Hanlon, Middlesex, N.J., assignor to Johnson & Johnson, a corporation of New Jersey Application September 9, 1953, Serlal No. 379,178

16 Claims. (Cl. 225-19) The present invention relates to a container-dispenser for tape and more particularly to a dispenser for pressure-sensitive adhesive tape.

According to the present invention, there is provided a simple and inexpensive container-dispenser for adhesive plaster which, by simple action of the hand holding the a dispenser, can be opened to permit grasping the end of the tape and unreeling a desired length from the roll of tape contained therein, and closed to clamp the unreeled tape for severing. The improved dispenser contemplates the use of one or another of a variety of tapesevering means which, in addition to protecting the user against accident, facilitates severing the tape by concentrating the clamping force along the line of severance. When closed, the container-dispenser completely houses the tape and maintains it in a sanitary condition.

Other and further objects of the invention will be apparent from the following description taken together with the drawings wherein:

Fig. l is an isometric view of a container-dispenser embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is an end view of the dispenser of Fig. 1, partly in section and partly in elevation;

Fig. 3 is an isometric view of a container-dispenser embodying a dilferent form of the invention, its tapeholding jaws being shown in open position;

Fig. 4 is an end elevation of the dispenser illustrated in Fig. 3, the tape-clamping jaws being shown in closed position;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of one of the tape-holding jaws of the dispenser shown in Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view on line 6-6 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is an isometric view of a container-dispenser embodying another form of the invention;

Fig. 8 is a sectional view on line 88 of Fig. 7;

Fig. 9 is an isometric view showing the dispenser of Fig. 7 in an open position;

Fig. 10 is a sectional view on line 10-10 of Fig. 8;

Fig. 11 is a fragmental sectional view on line 1l-11 of Fig. 10;

Fig. 12 is an isometric view of the cutter assembly in the dispenser of Fig. 7;

Fig. 13 is an enlargement of a portion of Fig. 10 showing the tape-clamping jaws approaching closed position and the cutter assembly in normal position;

Fig. 14 is a view similar to Fig. 13 but with the cutter assembly in tape-severing position;

Fig. 15 is an isometric view of a portion of a contamer-dispenser illustrating still another embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 16 is an end view, partially cut away, of the dispenser shown in Fig. 15;

Fig. 17 is an enlarged sectional view on line 1717 of Fig. 16 showing the parts approaching tape-serving position;

Fig. 18 is a view similar to Fig. 17, but showing the parts in tape-severing position;

' the axial length of the cylinder."

Fig. 19 is a fragmental elevation, partially cut away, of a dispenser having severing means slightly different from that shown in Fig. 15 and with the parts approaching tape-severing position;

Fig. 20 is an end view of the dispenser shown in Fig. 19;

Fig. 21 is a partial end view similar to Fig. 20 but showing the parts in tape-severing position;

Fig. 22 is an isometric view of a container-dispenser equipped with still another embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 23 is a fragmental end view of the dispenser of Fig. 22 partially cut away to show the cutter arrangement in some detail; and

Fig. 24 is a sectional view on line 2424 of Fig. 23.

To the extent that the various modifications of the invention are the same, they comprise a container-dispenser 25 completely enclosing and holding a roll of tape 26 and including means to assist severing or tearing off a predetermined length of tape unreeled from the roll for this purpose (Figs. 1-4, 7-10, and 22). The dispenser, shown, comprises a pair of housing members 29 and 31 mounted on a spool 28 which also rotatively supports the tape roll.

The housing members each consist of a pair of spaced parallel side walls 32 interconnected all along their outer edges by a peripheral wall 33 which follows the contour of such edges. The inner or adjacent edges 34 of the housing members are substantially straight, but the outer edges 35 starting from a point at the rear of the dispenser where they intersect the inner edges, are substantially semi-circular except for a short portion 36 near the front of the dispenser where the outer edges are substantially parallel with, but spaced from the inner edges. The outer edges at the front of the dispenser members are substantially perpendicular to the inner straight edges thereof. To put it diiferenlly, when the housing members are mounted for relative rotation, as shown, the dispenser has a fiat, substantially cylindrical shape except for extensions 37 and 38 at the front which have a duel; bill conformation. The fiat cylindrical shape of the dispenser is determined by the substantially semicircular outer edges 35 of the side walls 32 and the relatively narrow width of the peripheral connecting wall 33 which determines the distance between side walls or The upper housing member 29, adjacent the lower marginal edges of its side walls and its peripheral wall at the rear, overlaps the corresponding upper marginal edges of the lower housing member 31 (Figs. 9 and 10). The spool 28, near its opposite ends, fits into a pair of circular holes formed in the opposed side walls of the lower housing member and, in assembling the parts, the spool is passed first through one hole then through the tape core and then through the other of such holes. The spool 28 is also formed at its extreme ends with reduced portions 39 to accommodate circular holes in the opposed walls of the upper housing members which have a diameter somewhat smaller than the outer diameter of the spool itself. By making the housing member of resilient material, the side walls thereof may be sprung outwardly from their normal positions to accommodate the full length of the spool and allowed to snap back to their normal positions when the spool is in endwise registry with the holes whereby they will fit over the reduced ends of the spool, as shown in Fig. 8.

The housing members and the spool may be formed of any suitable inexpensive material such as a light metal or plastic. The parts may be simply and easily assembled and disassembled, permitting ready removal of used tape rolls and the substitution of new ones therefore without destroying the operating efiectiveness or tape-protecting ability of the dispenser.

The various embodiments of the invention difier chiefly in the devices they employ for gripping and severing the tape. These devices in each of the embodiments shown are used in association with the duck bill extensions 37 38, 37 a-e and 38 a-e of the housing members and their use is facilitated by rotating the housing members to open position, enabling the tape to be grasped and pulled out, and to closed position to grip the tape for the severing operation.

The user may most easily open and close the dispensercontainer by holding it in one hand with the duck bill portions thereof between the thumb and, preferably, the index finger. By squeezing with the back of the hand and opening the thumb and index finger, the housing members may be rotated relative to one another to open position wherein the user may grasp the end of the tape and pull it out the desired length. Then, by squeezing the thumb and fingers against the duck bill extensions, the housing members may be rotated relatively to a closed position to clamp the unreeled tape as described in more detail hereinafter. Thus, by a simple opening and closing motion of the hand, a user gains access to the tape roll, withdraws a piece of tape and clamps it firmly for severance. Stop means may be provided to prevent the housing members from opening to a greater extent than necessary, as by making the exterior housing member 29 of larger radius in its rear portion than in its front portion so to present a shoulder 41 between said portions which abuts against the other housing member 31 at its upper rear edge to limit the opening movement of the parts.

It will be apparent that the container-dispenser structure described hereinbefore as common to the various embodiments of the invention may be modified in many 1 respects, and still provide structure equivalent to the duck bill extensions 37 and 38 and housing members 29 and 31 which may be rotated by a simple opening and closing motion of one hand to open the dispenser to provide access to the tape roll and close the dispenser to clamp a length of tape for severance.

The simplest form of clamping and severing device is shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Here, the duck bill extensions present opposed serrated jaws 42 which engage the tape above and below to clamp or grip it firmly when such extensions are squeezed by one hand in the manner previously described. The tape 43 is severed by ripping it upward or downward against the action of the jaws.

In the embodiment of Figs. 3, 4, and 6, each of the duck bill extensions 37a and 38:: present, respectively, a pair of spaced tape-clamping jaws 44 and 45 at their front corners which are adapted to cooperate with each other to clamp the edges of a length 46 of tape to be severed. The opposed jaws have serrated gripping surfaces whose teeth face outwardly from the centerline of the tape and present tearing edges 47 inclined outwardly from the tape centerline in the direction of unreeling. The front walls of the duck bill extensions are formed with recesses 48 between the clamping surfaces such that these surfaces accordingly protrude beyond what otherwise is the front end of the dispenser. The recesses 48 perform the double function of causing the clamping force to be concentrated on the tape in the region of the protruding clamping surfaces and of providing access to the leading end of that portion of the tape roll that remains after a length has been severed. In operation, the tape is positioned over the jaws 44, 45 with the edges of the tape lying across the inclined tearing edges 47. The jaws are closed concentrating the clamping forces at opposite edges of the tape such that tear points are defined where the inclined edges 47 intersect the tape edges, and the tape is severed by pulling the end 46 at an angle away from one of these tear points to tear it between them. The inward inclination of the edges 47 concentrates the tearing forces at the very edge of the tape to start the tear. The jaws 44 and may be molded integrally with the housing members if the dispenser is made of plastic material.

In another embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. 714, a cutter or severing member 49 having a sharpened edge is mounted in the upper duck bill extension 37b to cooperate with a clamping surface 51 in the lower duck bill extension 38b against which the sharpened edge of the cutter may be pressed to hold a piece of tape 52 positioned for severance, in the lower duck bill extension 38. In this position, the cutter 49 extends across the width of the tape. Since a dispenser containing such a cutter must also be opened to possition the tape, it is important that the cutter be recessed or guarded in order to prevent users from injuring themselves. This is accomplished in the dispenser of Figs. 7-14 by pivotally mounting the cutter 49 in the extension with springs 53 acting on this pivot to urge the cutter upward into the recess 54 formed by the walls of the extension 37b. The preferred cutter assembly is shown in detail in Fig. 12 wherein a sharpened cutter or knife 49 is mounted on the ends 55 of pivot arms 56 having springs 53 on their opposite ends and pivot points between the cutter and the springs. Dog ears 57 extend outwardly at the pivot points for mounting the assembly in the sides of the extension 37b and within the recess 54 formed by the enveloping walls of the duck bill. When the cutter assembly is mounted in the extension 37b. the springs 53 extend upwardly and press against the under side of the peripheral wall 33 to exert a force downwardly upon in wardly directed extensions 58 of the spring ends of the pivot arms 56, in turn urging the cutter 49 up into the recess 54. Disposed on the sides of the lower duck bill extension 38b outside the tape path, are a pair of abut ments 59. When the housing members 29 and 31 are closed, the abutments 59 press against the spring ends 58 of the pivot arms 56, opposing the action of the springs 53 to press the cutter 49 down upon the tape positioned over the clamping surface 51. The tape 52 is then sevcred by drawing it upwardly against the cutter as the extensions 37b and 38b are held together by the thumb and forefinger, as described hereinbefore. After severance, the end 61 of the tape remaining connected to the roll continues to adhere to the clamping surface by virtue of the pressure which had been exerted upon it when the cutter was pressed downward for severing. In order to allow this end to be grasped when the dispenser is opened, to position the tape for severance, the sides of the lower extension 38 are recessed below the tape inwardly of the clamping surface, as at 62, allowing access to the tape edges.

Another form of the invention is shown in Figs. 15-21 wherein a cutter or severing member 63 is mounted on the inside lower edge of the front end wall 64 of the upper duck bill extension 37c or 38d in such a way that it will extend across the path of a length 65 of unreeled tape positioned for severance. A guard 66 is disposed underneath the cutter to protect the operator from its otherwise exposed edge in the open position of the dispenser. Resilient or spring means 67 mounted in the extension carrying the cutter is provided for holding the guard in the way of the cutter edge. Thus, while the guard 66 is normally held under the cutter edge, it may be displaced away from the cutter by pressing the guard inwardly against the action of the spring 67. The lower extension 38c or 38d has a clamping surface 68 which will meet the edge of the cutter 63 when the guard 66 is displaced for holding the tape 65 for severance when the dispenser is in a closed position. In order that it may be displaced, the guard is provided with end portions or feet 69 which extend downwardly from the guard outwardly of the tape path, and the lower duck bill extension 38c or 38d is provided with corresponding cam surfaces 71 running downwardly and inwardly from the end wall of the extension and along its sides. Thus, as the extensions are closed to bring the cutter and the clamping surface 68 together, the feet 69 first contact the upper ends of the cams 71 and then slide inwardly and downwardly along the cam surfaces to displace the guard and allow the edge of the cutter to meet the clamping surface to grip the tape for severance. Fig. 17 shows the duck bills as they are approaching one another, and Fig. 18 shows them after they have been closed and the guard 66 has been displaced to allow the cutter 63 and the clamping surface 68 to contact one another. The tape 65 is severed by tearing it against the cutter 63 as the duck bill extensions 37 and 38 (c or d, respectively) are held firmly together, as described hereinbefore. The severed edge 72 of the tape roll adheres to the clamping surface 68 to allow the end of the tape extending from the roll to be picked up through the recess at 62 as described hereinbe- [ore for Figs. 7-14.

In Figs. 19, 20, and 21, the guard 66 is held in way of the cutter 63 by a latch arrangement comprising cars 73 extending inwardly from the sides of the upper duck bill extension 37d and behind the guard 66 to prevent it from moving away from the cutter. The guard itself is mounted on a resilient member 74 for swingable movement towards and away from the cutter. The portions 75 of the sides of the extension 37d carrying the latch ears 73 are inclined with respect to the sides of the extension 38d of the lower housing member in such a way that, as the duck bills 37d and 38d are brought together, the inclined portions 75 contact the upper edges 76 of the extension 38d and bend outwardly to move the latch cars 73 beyond the ends of the guard 66, leaving the feet 69 of the guard free to slide along the cam surfaces 71 to clear the edge of the cutter as described above.

Figs. 22-24 show another embodiment of the invention wherein the end wall 77 of the upper duck bill extension 37e contains a slot running across the path of a section of tape 79 positioned for severance and at an incline to a transverse section of said tape. A cutter 81 is mounted in this slot for slidable movement across the tape with a. spring 82 normally holding the cutter at the upper end of the slot and on one side of the tape. The edge 83 of the cutter is preferably inclined to the tape to present a cutting edge which will both slide across and cut through the tape section 79. The slot 78 is so spaced from the bottom edge 74 of the end wall 77 that, with the spring 82 holding the cutter at the upper end of the slot, the cutter does not protrude beyond the edge 84 of the extension. As shown, the cutter is firmly mounted on a rectangular piece 85 which slides back and forth in contact with the parallel sides of the slot and has an attached operating knob 86 for moving the cutter 81. Thus, when the duck bills 372 and 382 are held closed by one 'hand, the knob 86 may be moved along the slot 78 by the thumb or a finger of the same hand or with the other hand to cause the cutter to move downwardly through and across the tape 79 for severing purposes. The end wall of the lower duck bill is thickened and slotted in the way of the cutter path to provide inner and outer surfaces 87 and 88 underneath the tape, which hold the tape against the downward pressure of the cutter through the slot 80. The severed end of the tape roll adheres to the inner surface 87 to allow the end of the roll to be grasped for repositioning as described hereinbefore.

It will be seen that I have provided a container-dispenser for a roll of tape which can be opened for access to the tape and closed to hold the tape for severance, by a simple opening and closing action of the hand holding the dispenser. Various means are provided to assist in clamping and severing predetermined lengths of tape and where these means include relatively sharp edges they are shielded to prevent users from injuring themselves. The container-dispenser of this invention fully protects the tape roll against contamination, can be produced of various materials including plastics, is easily assembled and disassembled, and is simple and inexpensive to manufacture.

I claim:

1. A portable hand tape dispenser for a roll of tape, comprising a first housing member having opposed side walls and an outer connecting wall for partially enclosing a roll of tape, a spool for supporting a tape roll for rotation in said housing member, a second housing member having opposed side walls overlapping corresponding portions of said first-mentioned side walls and an outer connecting wall overlapping a portion of said first-mentioned connecting wall, said first and second housing members being mounted on said spool for relative rotative movement for opening and closing said dispenser, said first and second-mentioned side walls having resilient segments with spool-engaging portions normally disposed inwardly of the ends and slidably engaging the periphery of said spool, said spool-engaging portions surrounding said spool and being sprirrgable outwardly of the ends of said spool for disassembling and assembling said housing, and coasting tape-clamping means adjacent corresponding extremities of each of said housing members adapted to meet when said housing members are rotated to a closed position.

2. A portable hand tape dispenser and enclosure for a roll of tape, said dispenser having a flat, substantially cylindrical shape, which comprises a first and second housing member each having opposed side walls and an outer connecting wall for partially enclosing a roll of tape, said outer connecting walls being relatively narrow in width, means for supporting a tape roll for rotation in said housing members, said first and second housing members being mounted for relative rotative movement about the axis of said supporting means, portions of both of the side walls and the connecting wall of said second housing member at the rear ends of said housing members overlapping corresponding both of the side and connecting walls of said first housing member to permit the housing members to be rotated with respect to one another for opening and closing said dispenser, and opposed tape clamping and gripping extensions at the front ends of said housing members adapted to meet when the housing members are rotated to a closed position.

3. A portable hand tape dispenser according to claim 2 wherein said gripping extensions have opposed jaws adjacent their extremities for clamping a length of tape unreeled from the roll when the housing members are rotated to a closed position.

4. A portable hand tape dispenser according to claim 3, wherein a portion of the outer connecting walls of each of said housing members extends in a substantially vertical direction at the extremities of the front ends of said members to provide end walls for said extensions and a portion of the end wall of one of said extensions c0n tains a slot inclined to and extending across the path of unreeled tape held by said jaws, further comprising a cutter mounted in said slot for movement through and across said tape for severing purposes.

5. A portable hand tape dispenser according to claim 4, wherein the edge of said cutter is inclined to a transverse section of said tape, further comprising spring means normally holding said cutter at the end of said slot farthest from the tape. and an operating member for moving the cutter through and across said tape against the action of the spring means.

6. A portable hand tape dispenser according to claim 4, wherein a corresponding end portion of the other of said extensions is slotted to accommodate said cutter as it is moved through and across said tape, the edges of said slot operating to assist said jaws in holding the tape against the pressure exerted by the cutter.

7. A portable hand tape dispenser according to claim 2 which further comprises tape severing means adjacent the extremity of one of said extensions and carried thereby, and a coacting portion on said other extension adapted to cooperate with said severing means for severing a length of tape unreeled from the roll when the housing members are rotated to a closed position.

8. A portable hand tape dispenser according to claim 3 wherein the side of one of said extensions is recessed inwardly of said jaws below the path of unreeled tape passing over the jaw of said extension for providing access to the edges of said tape.

9. A portable hand tape dispenser according to claim 3 wherein said opposed jaws comprise a pair of spaced jaws on each of said extensions for gripping opposite edges of the tape passing through said jaws when the housing members are rotated to a closed position.

10. A portable hand tape dispenser according to claim 9, wherein the end wall of one of said extensions between its spaced jaws is recessed rearwardly of the clamping surfaces of said jaws.

11. A portable hand tape dispenser according to claim 9 wherein said jaws have clamping surfaces with tearing edges inclined outwardly from the centerline of said tape in the direction of unreeling.

12. A portable hand tape dispenser according to claim 7 wherein the extension carrying the tape severing means has a recess adapted to enclose a cutter and said tape severing means is in the form of a cutter mounted for movement into and out of said recess, which further comprises spring means normally urging said cutter into said recess, and means on said second-mentioned extension for opposing the action of said spring means and moving the cutter out of said recess to contact the coasting portion on the other of said extensions when the housing members are rotated to a closed position.

13. A portable hand tape dispenser according to claim 12 which further comprises cutter supporting means pivotally mounted in said recess for moving said cutter into and out of said recess, and wherein the means for opposing the action of said spring means is in the form of means on the sides of said second-mentioned extension adapted to engage said cutter supporting means.

14. A portable hand tape dispenser according to claim 7 wherein said tape severing means is in the form of a cutter adjacent the end of said first-mentioned extension and is disposed across the path of unreeled tape psitioned for severance, which further comprises a cutter guard resiliently mounted on said first-mentioned extension in the way of the exposed edge of said cutter, and

the means on said second-mentioned extension for engaging said guard as the housing members are closed for moving the guard out of the way of said cutter to allow the cutter to contact said coacting portion for severing purposes.

15. A portable hand tape dispenser according to claim 14 wherein said cutter guard has end portions extending beyond the longitudinal edges of the tape, and which further comprises resilient means on said first-mentioned extension adjacent said cutter, the guard being supported on said resilient means and being urged by said resilient means in the way of the cutter, and cam surfaces on said second-mentioned extension adapted to contact the end portions of said guard for moving the guard out of the way of said cutter as the housing members approach a closed position.

16. A portable hand tape dispenser according to claim 7 wherein said tape severing means is in the form of a cutter adjacent the end of said first-mentioned extension and is disposed across the path of unreeled tape positioned for severance, which further comprises a cutter guard mounted on said first-mentioned extension for swingable movement into and out of the way of said cutter, latch means on said extension holding said guard in the way of the cutter, portions of said second-mentioned extension being adapted to contact and move said latch means as said housing members are closed to free the guard for swingable movement, and means on said second-mentioned extension for engaging said guard as the housing members are further closed for moving the guard out of the way of said cutter to allow the cutter to contact said coacting portion for severing purposes.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,086,472 Schulz Feb. 10, 1914 1,869,729 Zuckerrnan Aug. 2, 1932 2,125,736 Murray Aug. 2, 1938 2,144,999 Welch Jan. 24, 1939 2,250,774 Piller July 29, 1941 2,253,744 Witt Aug. 26, 1941 2,295,648 Gillanders et a1 Sept. 15, 1942 2,547,569 Erhardt Apr. 3, 1951 2,710,152 Jones June 7, 1955 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 2,889,975 June 9, 1959 Joseph F. Ha'nlon It is hereby certified that error appears in the-printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

Column 4, line 13, for "possition reed position column 5, line 36, for 'slot running" read slot 78 running line 45, for "edge 7!," read edge 84 column 6, line 37, after corresponding" insert portions of Signed and sealed this 6th day of October 1959- (SEAL) Attest:

KARL H. AXLINE ROBERT C. WATSON Atteeting Officer Commissioner of Patents 

